


Steve's Big Plan

by sarahstarkiller



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angry Billy Hargrove, First Kiss, Hawkins community pool, Lifeguard Billy, M/M, Mutual Pining, STEVE GETS BANNED FOR LIFE, Steve Harrington Is a Mess, but they don't know that yet shh, except not really at all, one summer can change everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-14 14:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18950434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahstarkiller/pseuds/sarahstarkiller
Summary: That scene at the pool from The Sandlot.





	Steve's Big Plan

**Author's Note:**

> This is silly and I did not stop laughing while writing it.

Another sweltering day at the community pool. By the water, soaking up the golden rays of the sun as he twists the whistle around his neck is where Billy’s beginning to feel at home in this strange town. He’s sure, however, that the moment September hits and cools Hawkins for autumn he’ll be back to longing for California, for sunshine and warm breezes and  _ home. _

 

Sweat drips down his temple and he wipes it away, surveying the water under his sunglasses, looking for any brats to scold. He’s yet to have any serious issues; most of his job consists of barking at children to not to run on the deck and reapplying his tanning oil.

 

But today is going to be different. He knows that the moment he sees him, what with his hair and Ray-Bans and the ever-present trail of middle schoolers following close behind him, his own sister among them.

 

Billy chews his cheek and watches Harrington edge toward the pool while he talks to Sinclair. Maybe it’s his imagination but Billy swears he sees Steve’s eyes glance over to where he sits at his post, high above everyone else.

 

Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. Twenty. Half an hour goes by and Billy’s loathe to admit his eyes haven’t left Harrington, tracking him everywhere he goes. He’s pretty sure Heather calls over to him at one point but he’s too engrossed in essentially stalking the guy that he hardly hears her. Good thing, too, ‘cause she was only wasting his time by saying  _ goodbye _ for the day.

 

He  _ knows _ he’s neglecting his actual duties, but he can’t bring himself to care; this is the most entertained he’s been on the job since he started. No guy, no  _ person _ as pretty as Harrington has come through this place. He’s going to take advantage of the eye candy Steve’s so generously offering up in those tiny blue trunks. He sits at the edge of the shallow end with his long legs dangling in the water, smiling at the kids he babysits or is friends with or  _ whatever  _ as they splash around and do dumb shit.

 

His whistle finds its way into his mouth, though he’s not blowing it, just chewing the end because he has to do something with his mouth since he’s not about to take a smoke break and miss out on the view in front of him.

 

“Excuse me? Mister?”

 

Billy jerks in his seat, startled by the tiny voice and looks down at the child below him. She can’t be more than six, wearing a frilly pink bathing suit and bright yellow flip flops.

 

“What’s the matter?” He’s only half aware of the rough edge to his voice as he climbs down to crouch in front of the girl.

 

Her lip quivers. “I lost my mommy.”

 

Billy sighs and puts a conscious effort into not letting his eyes roll into the back of his head. “Alright, kid, well-”

 

“Samantha!” A woman with brown hair and an oversized beach bag rushes over to them, grabs  _ Samantha _ and Billy watches as they embrace. He stands and waits awkwardly, always impressed by Hawkins’ knack for melodrama. The woman turns her attention to him. “Thank you. I was so scared, I couldn’t find her anywhere, I told her to  _ wait _ by the soda machine but-”

 

“It’s no problem,” he assures her and forces a somewhat decent smile. “I’m just doin’ my job, ma’am…” his voice trails off as he notices out of his peripheral his sister’s friends freaking out, spazzing in the water. Seemingly trying to get his attention. Pointing to the deep end.

 

He scans the pool but Henderson pops up in the water by his feet before he finds anything unusual. “Don’t just stand there, man, do your job! Save him!” Henderson shouts at him and then the cogs in Billy’s brain turn, it clicks.

 

Steve’s the only one missing from their little group.  _ Oh, God, he’s fucking  _ **_drowning_ ** .

 

Billy tears his shirt off, throws his whistle and sunglasses away in record time and dives straight into the water where Steve’s lying at the bottom of the deep end. The chlorine burns his eyes on the way down but he sees Steve and grabs him, pulls him close as he swims up to the surface.

 

Henderson and Sinclair grab Steve’s arms and hoist him from the water, lay him down on the deck as the Wheeler kid and Max help Billy out of the pool.

 

Billy’s barely aware of the crowd that’s formed around Steve’s lifeless body, but hears himself bark, “Everyone get out of the way!” before he snaps into autopilot and tilts Steve’s head up, gribs his jaw and pinches his nose closed. He covers Steve’s mouth with his own and puffs two quick breaths into his mouth, leans up to look for any signs of life.

 

Steve stays unconscious, so Billy repeats himself.

 

“C’mon, Steve, pull through!”

 

“Wake up!”

 

“Breathe, Steve!”

 

Max’s friends are huddled around Billy as he works, watching with wide eyes.

 

“Oh, God, he looks like a dead fish…”

 

Billy’s just about to blow two more breaths into Steve’s mouth when Steve’s arm suddenly slings around his neck and pulls him closer, humming into Billy’s mouth. Trying to fucking  _ kiss _ him.

 

Billy yelps into Steve’s mouth and scrambles to sit up, heart pounding out of his chest. Surprise quickly turns to bewilderment, so all he can do is get angry at the stupid look Steve’s giving him.

 

Billy shoots to his feet and drags Steve up with him, pulling him all the way to the exit while Henderson and them shout and scream, following in a cloud of giddiness. They try to pull Steve from his grip and fail spectacularly. Billy’s pretty sure Steve’s feet don’t even touch the ground.

 

He gets to the grass outside the establishment and shoves Steve away from him, watching him stumble until Wheeler and Henderson catch and steady him. They tug at his arms and are shouting at him to  _ hurry, _ but he’s looking back at Billy with a stupid, smug, ridiculous smirk, bluebirds flying around his head and everything.

 

Billy feels an overwhelming rush of all kinds of emotions, terror and shock being at the forefront, so he screams at Steve, “If I see you here again, you’re banned for life!”

 

He’s breathing hard as he watches the group sprint down the sidewalk, still dripping wet in their bathing suits, jumping on Steve and squealing. Billy can’t hear what they’re saying.

 

He tries to walk as calmly as possible back to his chair, where he climbs up and sits, still trying to catch his breath.

 

Harrington is  _ not _ getting away with that.

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me before we were blessed with the "banned for life" clip, but god did that clip add SO MUCH.
> 
> (do I smell a series?...)


End file.
